Markets

General Engineering and Fabrication

A key aspect of the Barnshaws package is that we have the scale to service any project, from the smallest local requirement to the largest international project.

No two days are the same for us, as we receive enquiries and orders for new general engineering and fabrication applications on a daily basis. With flexibility built into our DNA, our unique expertise enables us to provide the right solution economically and on time, irrespective of project scale.

From the moment your enquiry reaches us, you can relax in the knowledge that we will be able to arrive at the optimum solution, working with you to match your specific needs.

Civil Engineering

Our solutions are widely used on civil engineering work such as bridges, tunnel arches, building foundations and mines.

Barnshaws has therefore developed highly optimised solutions for universal columns and beams, rolled steel joists and thick plate forming.

We can roll and weld large diameter carbon or stainless steel cylinders for tubular piling in ground works. Other Barnshaws service options include pipeline bends, cutting rings, circular cofferdams, tunnel supports and wallings in civil/environmental projects. We also have an excellent track record in both the water and geotechnical industries.

Every civil engineering project presents its own special challenges and we are used to working on a bespoke basis every time. We will collaborate with you to achieve the optimum solution for each application.

Power Generation

Barnshaws is at the forefront of providing metal bending solutions for the power generation and energy industries. This is, of course, a rapidly developing global market for us, as energy efficiency and the reduction of carbon emissions, plus new innovative power generation techniques, are key objectives all over the world.

Using a wide range of materials, our services encompass induction bending, rolled cylinders and sections for wave and tidal energy initiatives, tube manipulation, section bending, plate rolling and press braking for nuclear plants and induction bending of steam pipes in gas, oil and coal-fired power plants.

We have developed methods for cold bending rectangular hollow sections (RHS) for base platform support rings that are used as an integral part of the structure of offshore wind turbines. This provides significant construction cost and lead time savings.

Barnshaws can curve 400*200*16 RHS and 450*250*16 RHS to 2500 inside radius with very little distortion. Up until now, the manufacture of these critical components has only been possible via more expensive and time consuming heat induction bending methods.

For more extreme configurations, where cold bending is still not a technically feasible option, we are able to deploy induction bending to meet the required component specification. To demonstrate this capability, we have created 500*300*16 RHS to 2800 centre line radius, again with minimum distortion.

Offshore

Marine and offshore industries operate in highly specialised environments that Barnshaws completely understands, having carried out a vast range of work in this arena.

Using materials ranging from carbon steels and stainless steels to nickel alloys, duplex, aluminium and titanium, our marine and offshore services include rolled and welded cylinders and pipes for vessels, tubular piles, process pipework, winch drums, pig launchers and receivers. Our fabrication capabilities are also frequently used for items such as motor casings (stator frames).

The Barnshaws induction bending service provides an ideal solution for bends from 2" to 20" in a variety of materials. Our heavy rolling and press brake equipment enables us to supply cylinders of up to 13 metres long and a maximum thickness of 100 millimetres.

Barnshaws can supply cylinders complying with appropriate boiler and pressure vessel welding codes. We can also provide a full range of independent tests and pre/post bend services.

Oil and Gas

The oil and gas industries are sophisticated markets for bending solutions and another area of considerable expertise for Barnshaws.

We have earned a market leading position in supplying plate formed solutions for a wide range of storage tanks used by petrochemical businesses. Made from either S275 or S355 steel plate or stainless steel, Barnshaws Tank Plates can be formed to any radius in a precision, crane-operated manufacturing process.

With fast production turnarounds of 48 hours after receipt of order, our plates to site arrive on site in a way that maximises the efficiency of site operations, including factory vee-cut edges to speed up site welding. We also commonly supply a complete tank envelope package, encompassing roof petals and angle rings.

Other common oil and gas services include fully tested induction bent pipe, offshore suction pipes, blast walls and pressure vessels for many applications.

Construction

Unrivalled technical and design support, our unique manufacturing capabilities and on time delivery are at the heart of our construction industry services.

At Barnshaws we have built up widely acknowledged expertise through providing a bending service to construction with unrivalled scope on the most diverse range of structural building projects.

Using the latest hot and cold bending techniques, we have carved out a strong reputation for satisfying the most exacting architectural demands, having provided highly effective solutions for some of the UK's most ambitious and prestigious recent projects, including: -

• Steel sections for 15 curved steel ribs on the new roof at Manchester’s Grade II-listed Victoria Station for Network Rail.
• Curved beams for the Rolls Royce aerospace facility in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
• Spiral box sections for the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture in the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park in London.

Our unique service encompasses architectural metalwork and curved facades, roof members, circular frames, multi radius section bends, beam cambering, helical and spiral staircase stringers, handrails and treads.

We also regularly form non-standard sections and create cones and cylinders to precise client specifications.

Our enviable track record amply demonstrates that our abilities are usually only limited by the imagination of the designer. A bold claim, but a challenge we are always willing to accept.

Commercial Vehicles

We are proud to offer a range of solutions for the commercial vehicle market.

Our portfolio of achievement in this industry includes manufacture of truck chassis rails and curved curtain tracks.

Looking at specific projects, we have supplied curved aluminium rails used on the latest type of fastback aerodynamic trailer. We have also press braked Hardox plate used on truck tipper bodies.

Industrial Machinery

Our metal bending capabilities are often commissioned for the manufacture of various industrial machinery components.

Typical applications include curved funnels for wood chipping machines, curved grabber arms for agricultural baling machines and Hardox buckets for use on construction vehicles.

Defence

Our services have been called upon to work in the Defence sector in areas such as marine and aviation.

Barnshaws have a proven track record to take on projects of any size and can guarantee a consistent level of quality for the duration of long-term contracts.

We can roll cylinders, bend sections, form tee’s, curve extrusions and any other shaping of metal required by our customers to overcome any challenging aspects of the construction.

Every defence project offers a different challenge and Barnshaws will always endeavour to find a solution using all of the knowledge gained over 50 years of metal forming.

Facades

Barnshaws have long offered services to the Architectural industry, in particular the facades market. We offer in-house tooling design and manufacture, and will work with you to overcome any challenge.

Our aluminium division houses some of the most advanced bending machinery, coupled with ancillary equipment to take on all projects. We service the non-ferrous market by offering mark-free tooling which enables the best quality of product, in a market where visuals are key.

Barnshaws services are commonly applied to louvres, transoms, mullions, partitioning, handrails, balconies and any other metalwork used to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance. We can bend all materials from aluminium through to zinc-coated mild steel, in any grade required.